﻿410 
  BABCOCK: 
  NEW 
  ENGLAND 
  TURTLES. 
  

  

  a 
  suitable 
  spot, 
  not 
  loose 
  sand, 
  but 
  rather 
  hard 
  soil 
  free 
  from 
  grass 
  and 
  other 
  dense 
  vegetation, 
  

   prepares 
  the 
  ground 
  by 
  moistening 
  it 
  from 
  the 
  bladder, 
  and 
  the 
  anal 
  water-sacs. 
  Then 
  it 
  

   stiffens 
  the 
  tail 
  and 
  bores 
  a 
  hole 
  with 
  it, 
  moving 
  the 
  tail 
  but 
  not 
  the 
  body. 
  The 
  hind-Umbs 
  

   then 
  scoop 
  out 
  the 
  hole, 
  the 
  l:)road 
  feet 
  moving 
  alternately 
  and 
  heaping 
  up 
  the 
  soil 
  on 
  the 
  side, 
  

   until 
  the 
  hole 
  is 
  about 
  five 
  inches 
  deep, 
  that 
  is 
  as 
  far 
  as 
  the 
  hind 
  legs 
  will 
  reach. 
  The 
  eggs 
  

   are 
  laid 
  at 
  the 
  bottom 
  in 
  one 
  layer, 
  chvided 
  and 
  distributed 
  by 
  the 
  feet. 
  Lastly, 
  the 
  soil 
  is 
  put 
  

   in 
  again, 
  and 
  the 
  tortoise, 
  by 
  repeatedly 
  raising 
  its 
  body 
  and 
  falUng 
  down, 
  stamps 
  the 
  soil 
  

   firm 
  and 
  flat, 
  roughens 
  the 
  surface 
  a 
  Uttle 
  \vith 
  its 
  claws, 
  and 
  leaves 
  the 
  nest 
  to 
  its 
  fate. 
  Noth- 
  

   ing 
  but 
  an 
  accident 
  leads 
  to 
  its 
  discovery. 
  The 
  yoimg 
  are 
  hatched, 
  according 
  to 
  locality 
  and 
  

   the 
  kind 
  of 
  season, 
  either 
  in 
  the 
  same 
  autumn 
  or 
  not 
  until 
  the 
  next 
  spring." 
  

  

  The 
  eggs 
  of 
  the 
  Blanding's 
  Turtle 
  average 
  36 
  mm. 
  in 
  length 
  and 
  24 
  mm. 
  in 
  diameter. 
  

  

  Habits. 
  — 
  This 
  turtle 
  is 
  very 
  timid. 
  "No 
  amount 
  of 
  thumpmg 
  will 
  cause 
  it 
  to 
  open 
  the 
  

   hinged 
  plastron" 
  (Morse, 
  1904). 
  Yerkes 
  (see 
  Box 
  Tortoise) 
  in 
  studying 
  it 
  in 
  reference 
  to 
  

   certain 
  spatial 
  reactions, 
  places 
  it 
  in 
  the 
  same 
  class 
  with 
  Clemmys 
  guttata, 
  which, 
  he 
  says, 
  ''it 
  

   very 
  closely 
  resembles 
  in 
  behavior." 
  A 
  pecuhar 
  custom 
  prevails 
  among 
  certain 
  farmers 
  re- 
  

   garding 
  the 
  E. 
  orbicularis 
  in 
  Europe. 
  They 
  are 
  said 
  to 
  keep 
  a 
  turtle 
  in 
  the 
  water-troughs 
  of 
  

   their 
  cattle 
  in 
  order 
  to 
  keep 
  the 
  water 
  free 
  from 
  worms 
  and 
  other 
  impurities. 
  

  

  Food 
  Habits.— 
  Regarding 
  their 
  habits 
  of 
  feeding, 
  Ditmars 
  (1907, 
  p. 
  57) 
  says: 
  "Although 
  

   fully 
  as 
  agile 
  in 
  the 
  water 
  — 
  in 
  smmming, 
  diving 
  and 
  remaining 
  a 
  considerable 
  time 
  beneath 
  

   the 
  surface 
  — 
  as 
  the 
  typical 
  pond 
  and 
  river 
  turtles 
  and 
  terrapin, 
  this 
  species 
  often 
  evinces 
  a 
  

   desire 
  to 
  wander 
  about 
  on 
  land, 
  and 
  while 
  it 
  seldom 
  ventures 
  from 
  wet, 
  marshy 
  areas, 
  prowls 
  

   about 
  through 
  the 
  undergrowth 
  in 
  search 
  of 
  tender 
  shoots, 
  berries 
  and 
  insect 
  larvae, 
  a 
  char- 
  

   acter 
  quite 
  in 
  opposition 
  to 
  the 
  feeding 
  habits 
  of 
  the 
  strictly 
  aquatic 
  turtles 
  and 
  terrapins, 
  

   which 
  are 
  unable 
  to 
  feed 
  unless 
  under 
  water. 
  Blanding's 
  Turtle 
  feeds 
  wdth 
  equal 
  readiness 
  

   upon 
  the 
  ground, 
  or 
  under 
  water. 
  Captive 
  specimens 
  are 
  very 
  fond 
  of 
  lettuce; 
  they 
  also 
  feed 
  

   voraciously 
  upon 
  earthworms, 
  small 
  fishes, 
  tadpoles 
  and 
  young 
  frogs, 
  actively 
  pxirsuing 
  these 
  

   creatures 
  in 
  the 
  water 
  and 
  seizing 
  them 
  by 
  a 
  sudden 
  dart 
  of 
  the 
  head. 
  Well 
  fattened 
  specimens 
  

   are 
  unable 
  to 
  employ 
  the 
  hinged 
  plastron 
  to 
  but 
  a 
  sUght 
  extent 
  and 
  \vith 
  such 
  indi\aduals 
  the 
  

   rear 
  lobe 
  is 
  quite 
  useless 
  in 
  covering 
  the' 
  hind 
  Umbs 
  which 
  bulge 
  from 
  the 
  shell 
  in 
  helpless 
  

   fashion." 
  

  

  Enemies. 
  — 
  The 
  eggs 
  and 
  young 
  are 
  exposed 
  to 
  danger 
  from 
  predaceous 
  mammals, 
  birds, 
  

  

  and 
  fish. 
  

  

  Economic 
  Importance.— 
  Blandmg's 
  Tiu-tle 
  has 
  practically 
  no 
  commercial 
  value, 
  although 
  

   occasionally 
  it 
  is 
  used 
  for 
  food. 
  

  

  